Grief Out Loud
Remember the last time you tried to talk about grief and suddenly everyone left the room? Grief Out Loud is opening up this often avoided conversation because grief is hard enough without having to go through it alone. We bring you a mix of personal stories, tips for supporting children, teens, and yourself, and interviews with bereavement professionals. Platitude and cliché-free, we promise! Grief Out Loud is hosted by Jana DeCristofaro and produced by Dougy Center: The National Grief Center Children & Families in Portland, Oregon. www.dougy.org
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How To Make New Memories
09/28/2023
How To Make New Memories
experienced the death of someone close to her every year between the ages of 15 and 21. The first was her father, who died of brain encephalitis. For the next five years, Katie did what so many teens do - she didn’t talk about her grief. Until she did. Now, she's the founder of and the author of new children's book, which invites children (and adults too) to find ways to make new memories with their person who died. We discuss: What Katie needed when her dad died and how that changed over time Why she stopped talking about her dad and how she learned to start again The nonverbal ways she started to engage with grief How her dad’s death shaped who she is Living a death-centered life How she continues to make new memories with her dad What it will mean to make a hole in one on the golf course someday
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How To Show Up For Others
09/07/2023
How To Show Up For Others
"How do I help someone who is grieving?" This is the perennial question when it comes to showing up for people we care about after someone dies. Zack Wheat, a Board Certified Chaplain, knows more than most about what people who are grieving need - and don't need. Professionally, Zack knows about this from his work as a hospital chaplain for an inpatient palliative care team. He also knows about it from his time volunteering as a facilitator in peer grief support groups at Dougy Center. But, long before he was a hospital chaplain or a grief group facilitator, Zack learned about how to be there for others when he was 21 and his friend Leanna died in a car accident. In this episode we talk about: What it was like for Zack to speak at his friend’s funeral His draw to working as a chaplain The difference between hospital and hospice chaplaincy How the pandemic impacted Zack and his hospital colleagues What people who are grieving need – and don’t need How to be human with other humans who are grieving What keeps people from showing up for others The value of acknowledgment, empathy, and presence What Zack’s learned as a facilitator in a peer grief support group
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Love Is Stronger - Interrupting Gun Violence
08/11/2023
Love Is Stronger - Interrupting Gun Violence
is the founder of , an organization in Portland, OR dedicated to supporting gang-impacted families and communities in building healing, accountability, and safety. While Lionel and Love is Stronger focus on interrupting gun violence, this work is also rooted in grief. Lionel's uncle was shot and killed by the police in 1975. His cousin Donald was killed in 1999 by a rival gang. His mother died of a sudden illness when Lionel was 20. In the last two years, he went to over 40 funerals, many of those for young people killed by gun violence. We talk about: Lionel's early experiences with grief and gun violence How he lost his moral compass when his mother died His work as a tribute to how his mother saw him The role unprocessed grief played in his life, including killing another teen How being in prison and learning about trauma changed his life Learning there's no quick fix for grief What is unique about grieving a gun violence death The origin story of Love is Stronger Lionel's vision for interrupting cycles of gun violence What the community can do to help What helps him tend his own grief about Lionel & Love is Stronger.
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Becoming A Cultural Kinkeeper
08/03/2023
Becoming A Cultural Kinkeeper
What does it mean to be a cultural kinkeeper and how does that idea relate to grief? These are two of the questions we explore with , co-founder of , a platform meant to inspire people to collect and document family stories, recipes, and traditions. When Anika’s mom died suddenly in 2019, she realized just how much she didn’t know, not just about her mom, but also about their family history and cultural traditions. Root & Seed is Anika’s offering to help others have meaningful conversations with their family members in the hopes of recording those important stories and legacies. We discuss: The ways Anika's mother mothered her How Anika went searching for stories about her mother after her death What else Anika lost when her mother died The origin of Root & Seed and the digital and physical tools they provide to help people document their family stories and traditions What she most wishes she could tell her mom now Social handles: @rootandseedco Website/E-Store: Free Conversation Capture Tool:
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The Grief Garden - Supporting Collective Grief
07/14/2023
The Grief Garden - Supporting Collective Grief
As more opportunities for non-traditional grief support arise, it's no surprise that many of them are happening in historically marginalized communities who have not felt relevantly supported in those settings. co-created by , a multidisiciplinary artist, and Tiana Zabala, the garden manager at is the perfect example of this type of offering. The Grief Garden was designed to bring people together, in relationship with the outdoors, where they could engage with rest, movement, medicine making, and sound. Julia Mallory is a storyteller, writer, and artist who after the death of her eldest son Julian in 2017 also became a community grief worker. Through her words, images, and offerings, Julia invites others to acknowledge and express their own grief. Tiana Zabala is passionate about growing food, medicine, and building community. In her role as garden manager at GoggleWorks she focuses on urban farming and developing opportunities for collective healing. We discuss: What Julia & Tiana learned about grief from their families The lack of opportunity to gather and honor collective grief, especially in the Black community How grief gets pathologized in a grief avoidant society The origin of the Grief Garden event Why embodied practices like movement, song, and art are important in grief How Julia makes engaging with grief more accessible through her lived experience Farming as a metaphor for grief and the cycle of life Julia & Tiana’s plans for future creative grief expression events
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When I Think Of Him, Love Is The Word That Comes Up - Pierce Freelon
07/07/2023
When I Think Of Him, Love Is The Word That Comes Up - Pierce Freelon
is a GRAMMY® nominated musician, author, and educator. He is also a son, a father, a husband, and an astute observer of life and grief and everything in between. Pierce was a caregiver for his father, , a renowed architect who died of ALS. He's also the author of the new children's book, Daddy and Me: Side by Side, a beautiful rendering of the times Pierce and his father spent in nature, and how Pierce is doing the same with his own son. A few hours before our interview, Pierce got word that a beloved professor from his time in graduate school, , had just died. In connection to both of these influential people, Pierce shares his unique and nuanced perspective on grief, legacy, and the power of artistry. We talk about: How Pierce thinks about death and grief and ongoing connection The role gratitude plays in grief How new grief feels familiar, because love feels familiar The legacy of values, worldview, and artistry Pierce inherited from his dad, Phil, and his professor, Dr. Mugo The cultural traditions Pierce turns to in grief Caregiving for his father during his illness and end-of-life The autobiographical elements of Pierce’s new children’s book, . Listen to our episode with Pierce’s mother, Nneena Freelon, .
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How Do I Keep Going Without Her? Kelly S. Thompson
06/23/2023
How Do I Keep Going Without Her? Kelly S. Thompson
When and her older sister Meghan were children, they were close. Meghan was Kelly’s protector and constant as they moved around as a military family. Things shifted when Meghan hit adolescence and started using substances. Their connection disintegrated and they spent years barely in touch. When Meghan stopped using, they came back together and worked to rebuild trust and repair their relationship. Then, on the same day Meghan gave birth to her second child, she was diagnosed with a cancer that would end her life in less than two years. Kelly became her primary caregiver, going with Meghan to treatment and being with her in the hospital up until the last few moments of her life. Before she died, Meghan made Kelly promise to write their story. Kelly kept that promise with her new memoir, . We discuss: The arc of Kelly & Meghan’s relationship The process of repairing that relationship What it was like to care for Meghan after her cancer diagnosis Kelly’s relationship with survival mode Why the grocery store kicks up her grief The ways writing helps Kelly cope and stay connected to Meghan How Meghan loved Kelly (without condition or hesitation) The ongoing heaviness of grief Answering the question “How do I keep moving in a world that doesn’t have this brilliant human being in it?”
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We Need Queer Specific Grief Spaces - Queer Grief Club & Jamie Thrower
06/16/2023
We Need Queer Specific Grief Spaces - Queer Grief Club & Jamie Thrower
is a Queer death doula, end-of-life educator, and grief guide in Portland, OR. She is also the founder of the which provides inclusive non-traditional grief support offerings for those grieving both death and non-death losses. Jamie knows from her personal experience of grieving the deaths of her parents and her daughter, Birdie, who she and her wife lost in the second trimester, just how important it is for grief support to be reflective of identity, relationships, family constellations, and community. We get into: Grieving as a queer person right now and the importance of community & connection. Why the grocery store is so challenging when you’re grieving. The origins of the and how it’s different than traditional grief support. How the deaths of her parents and daughter shape the work she does in end-of-life and grief education. The importance of queer specific spaces in grief. Being queer in the gendered world of baby loss grief support. Breaking down the binaries that get created in grief. What grief has been saying to Jamie lately.
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It Affects All Of My Relationships
06/08/2023
It Affects All Of My Relationships
Even though most of us know and accept that grief doesn't have an end point, it can still be surprising to witness how much it impacts almost every aspect of our lives, including our relationships. This was true for Daniel, who was two days away from his 8th birthday when his father died of a brain tumor. When he was a kid, grief impacted Daniel's relationship with a sense of safety and security. As a young adult, it affected what he was looking for in his dating relationships. Throughout his life, it's shaped who and how he feels safe and comfortable connecting with. We discuss: What Daniel remembers about getting the news that his dad was going to die. How the enormity of this loss became more real as he got older. The challenges he faced with trusting men, which affected his experience as gay man. How his coming out process may have been different if his dad was still alive. The parallels Daniels found in coming out as gay and coming out as having a parent who died - how both have left him feeling othered. How his grief impacted his dating relationships. What he's learned from volunteering in a peer grief support group for young children. What he's come to understand about grief over time.
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I Took A Year Off To Grieve - Rebecca Feinglos & GrieveLeave
05/25/2023
I Took A Year Off To Grieve - Rebecca Feinglos & GrieveLeave
What happens when you take a year away from your income generating work to focus completely on grief? This is the question faced at the end of 2021. Grief wasn't new to Rebecca. She was a teenager when her mother died of brain cancer. On the same day her state shut down due to the COVID pandemic, she got a call that her father had died suddenly. In the ensuing months, she ended her marriage. So, by the time she got to the end of 2021, she was exhausted and empty and unwell. It's common to wish the world would stop and give us a break when someone dies, but we usually dream of escaping from it all. Rebecca did something different - she took a year to delve fully into her grief and along the way she wrote about it on her blog. This experience inspired her to start her organization, , a community to support others in learning to grieve all of their losses. We discuss: Growing up in the shadow of her mother's brain cancer How Rebecca responded to grief as a teen and young adult The sudden death of her father the same day the COVID-19 shutdown began Rebecca's realization that she needed to do something different What she discovered during her GrieveLeave about how to grieve The daily practices Rebecca still does to stay connected to her grief What she hopes to accomplish with GrieveLeave Follow GrieveLeave on & .
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There's No End Point - Sushi Tuesdays & Charlotte Maya
05/16/2023
There's No End Point - Sushi Tuesdays & Charlotte Maya
It's generally accepted that there's no official end point to grief, but what happens when there's also no end point to the questions about someone's death? life changed drastically when she came home from a hike with her two young children to find two police officers and a priest at her house, waiting with news that her husband Sam had died by suicide. In those early days of grief Charlotte dealt with sadness, anger, confusion, and the endless tasks that come when someone dies. She also faced the question, "Why?" Why did Sam do what he did? What was he going through? Why didn't he ask for help? Almost 16 years later, Charlotte and her children have more understanding about suicide, but they've mostly had to accept that they'll never truly know the answer to a question that only Sam could answer. Charlotte's new memoir, chronicles the first few days, weeks, and years of grief and how she learned to take care of her children and herself in their grief. We discuss: The early days of grief The shock of Sam dying of suicide Searching for an answer to "Why?" How anger was a part of grief What Charlotte's two children needed in their grief Falling in love again and blending a family Learning to parent her stepsons who were also grieving How Sushi Tuesdays, Charlotte's dedicated day for self-care came about If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for help. You can call the National Crisis Line at 988 or text Hello to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
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It's Still Complicated
04/28/2023
It's Still Complicated
"What was your dad like?" It's a simple question that's not easy to answer when you had a complicated relationship with the person who died. Claire's dad died of a stroke almost four years ago and one of the first emotions she felt was relief. Relief that she wouldn't have to worry if he would want to walk her down the aisle when she got married. Relief she wouldn't have to wonder how he'd act in the future. She also felt deep grief and sadness about the relationship they never got to have. Claire's dad was brilliant. He loved music. He was extremely active. He was also emotionally abusive to Claire and her mom. This reality adds layers of complexity not just to her grief, but to navigating other people's assumptions about what their relationship was like. We talk about: Grieving when the relationship was complicated Secondary grief & remorse Forgiving herself & trying to better understand her dad Continuing to work on their relationship, even after his death Finding ways to stay connected to her dad Planning a wedding and balancing how to honor his memory
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Laurel Braitman Learns To Feel Her Feelings - What Looks Like Bravery
04/14/2023
Laurel Braitman Learns To Feel Her Feelings - What Looks Like Bravery
When her father died of cancer, a few days before her 18th birthday, started running. Running towards the academic and professional accomplishments her father pushed her to achieve and running away from the intense shame and guilt she carried about their last conversation. It wasn’t until her 30’s that Laurel stopped running long enough to face her greatest fear: feeling her feelings. Laurel’s newest book, , chronicles her quest to connect with grief and how it led to the biggest adventure of all - opening up to love. In our conversation we delve into: Growing up with her father’s illness and the threat of him dying Running from guilt & shame in grief Overachieving as a coping mechanism Wanting to be a “geriatric kid” at , a peer grief support program for children & families What Laurel learned about grief from being a volunteer facilitator in that program Learning a new way of being in the world & staying open to love Having a “cosmic do-over" in helping her mom at the end of her life The co-existence of love and sadness
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Death With Dignity - Dr. Peg Sandeen
03/31/2023
Death With Dignity - Dr. Peg Sandeen
At the age of 27, Dr. Peg Sandeen faced an impossible request. Her husband, John, who was dying from HIV/AIDS, told Peg that he couldn’t stand the pain anymore and wanted her to help him end his life. It was the early 1990’s though and there was no legal avenue for Peg to help John in his wish to die with the dignity he had in life. Peg went on to get both a Master's and Ph.D. in social work. Throughout that time, the memory of John’s last wish motivated her to work towards changing the landscape for people facing the end of life. Dr. Sandeen is now the Executive Director of , working in end-of-life advocacy and fighting for medical aid in dying laws across the U.S. In our conversation we discuss: Meeting and falling in love with John Getting the news of John's HIV diagnosis How Hannah and John talked with their daughter Hannah about her father's illness The shame and stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS Caregiving for a dying husband as a young mother and wife The current state of right to die laws across the U.S. Moving from an intellectual to emotional understanding of grief Learning to support Hannah in her grief Dr. Sandeen's HuffPost article:
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Normalizing Grief - Grant Garry & "Meet Me Where I Am"
03/24/2023
Normalizing Grief - Grant Garry & "Meet Me Where I Am"
, a new film by Grant Garry, explores the topic of grief through individual stories of loss, love, and hope. The film aims to normalize grief in our culture and explores how we can actively participate in helping others through grief. Grant has always been curious about grief, from his first experience when his grandmother died when he was a teenager to his most recent loss, the death of his uncle. Meet Me Where I Am is the culmination of that curiosity, and a dedication to ensuring we all feel better equipped to talk about grief. Follow Meet Me Where I Am on to see clips from the film ().
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Finding The Words - Colin Campbell
03/17/2023
Finding The Words - Colin Campbell
is a lot of things - writer, husband, friend - but the role he identifies with most is being a father. So, when his two teenage children, Ruby & Hart, were killed by a drunk driver in 2019, Colin was lost and terrified. Who was he without his kids? How would he survive the intensity of grief? Soon after their deaths, well-meaning friends and family would say, "There are no words," but for Colin, this phrase wasn't comforting. It left him feeling more alone because what he really needed were words. Words so he could talk about Ruby & Hart. Words to help articulate his pain. And words from others who shared what they remembered and missed about his children. Colin's book, , outlines the words and actions that helped him stay close to Ruby & Hart while learning to live in a world without them. Topics in our conversation: How Colin continues to honor and remember Ruby & Hart The rituals and routines that were helpful in the early days of grief How Colin navigates guilt and anger Learning to lean into the pain Finding ways for joy to live alongside grief The myth that the death of a child leads to divorce How Colin continues to embody being a father Colin's article in The Atlantic -
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(Re)Constellating After The Death Of A Partner
03/06/2023
(Re)Constellating After The Death Of A Partner
When 's partner of 25 years, Patrice, died in March of 2021, she found herself untethered. In the early days of grief, Jessica went within, needing to find her orbital pattern in this new solar system without Patrice. During this time she also germinated seeds of creativity. Seeds that were planted by Patrice when she gifted Jessica an iPad, just days before she learned she was dying. In the fall of 2021, Jessica picked up the iPad and started drawing. This process inspired her to start , a company where she offers a line of greeting cards and other inspired imagery. In this conversation we discuss: What is was like to midwife Patrice through her dying process How the early days of grief felt The image that came to Jessica soon after Patrice died How creativity changed everything The ways their dog Kirby grieved Jessica's hopes for The Chrysalis Imagery Jessica on IG - and Facebook -
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Both Sides Of The Story
02/24/2023
Both Sides Of The Story
It's rare for a story to have just one side, especially in grief. This is true for Eddie, whose father died of suicide in 2021. One side of the story is how Eddie's father was in the world - extremely successful and well-regarded. Another side of the story is how he was at home and in his relationship with her. In grief, Eddie has had to reckon with missing her dad while also being confused about why she is missing him. She's also had to navigate living in the world without a dad who was such a force in shaping everything she thought she wanted in life. Eddie is committed to talking openly about grief and mental health and wants to ensure there is room for her and others to tell both sides of the story.
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Cultural Bereavement - Tida Beattie
02/17/2023
Cultural Bereavement - Tida Beattie
When Thai immigrant parents died in 2019, she went from being a long-distance caregiver to an overwhelmed & grieving daughter. In her search for support, she found what so many do, a lack of culturally specific or informed resources. This experience motivated her to change this for others by creating spaces for immigrant families to receive support before and after a death. Tida is a Thai-American end-of-life doula, grief support facilitator, immigrant advocate, and co-founder of , dedicated to supporting caregivers and those in grief with compassion and a cultural lens. In this episode, we discuss: Growing up as a Thai-American and her family's experience of cultural bereavement. How her parents' immigrant experience informed their approach to end-of-life. What it was like to be a long-distance caregiver. Tida's search for culturally relevant grief support. The importance of acknowledging cultural bereavement. The goal and mission of MESO. Learning to hold both joy & grief.
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Navigating Grief At Work
02/02/2023
Navigating Grief At Work
The list of things to do when someone dies is long and burdensome. If one of the things on that list was, "return to work," then this episode is for you. If you're a manager or co-worker wondering how to best support someone when they get to that item on the list, this episode is also for you. In a world where most companies provide woefully inadequate, if any, bereavement leave, many people have to return before they are ready, and when they do go back they are usually met with awkward comments or outright silence. Margo Fowkes, founder of , an online community for grief, published her book, , with the hope of easing this transition, both for employees and employers. We talk about: How Margo's experience as a mother grieving a son and a daughter grieving a mother inspired her to start Salt Water. Why it's important for companies to support their employees who are grieving. The power of peer support in the work place. How support doesn't always mean more time off. What employees identified as their biggest need at work. Examples of effective work place support. How writing this book helped Margo reflect on how she and her family returned to work and school after her son died. Listen to Margo's previous interview on Grief Out Loud. E.
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When Every Item Is Precious - The Grief Gallery
01/20/2023
When Every Item Is Precious - The Grief Gallery
After her mother died in 2013, faced the daunting prospect of dealing with all of her belongings. Making decisions about what to keep felt impossible, so Charlene turned to her skills as a gallery curator and asked herself: “If I was to do an exhibition about my mother, which 100 objects would I choose?” This experience transformed Charlene's understanding of how to interact with the objects of people's lives. It also inspired her to create the and become a . Topics we talk about: Feeling blindsided by her mother's death. Charlene's instinct to plan and do, rather than feel, in the early days of grief. How she eventually found ways to express emotion through creativity. What she learned about grief from growing up as the child of Chinese immigrants. How we can all think about curating the items of our lives, before we die. Grief and the Lunar New Year holiday. Follow Charlene & The Grief Gallery on .
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Signs & Messages - Psychic Mediumship
01/06/2023
Signs & Messages - Psychic Mediumship
We wanted to release this episode at the beginning of the new year, because it hits on a topic we haven’t explored much before – psychic mediumship. It’s something that comes up in our groups at Dougy Center and the people who bring it up usually do so with a lot of trepidation and concern for how others will respond. We figured if it's coming up in our groups, many of you out there might also be curious about this kind of work. is a psychic medium, energy healer, anticipatory grief coach, Reiki practitioner, and death doula. She came to this work from her personal experience. When she was 18, her younger brother died of leukemia. A few years later, her mother also died, from a fast-moving disease. Patty turned to this work in the hopes of providing others with the support she most needed in her grief. We get into: Common misperceptions about psychic mediumship. What kinds of messages Patty receives and how she translates them. What to expect in a session. How she responds to skepticism about her work. Examples of messages Patty's received from her family members. How she cares for herself in this work. Follow Patty on &
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Are We Going To Be Okay? - Grief, Collected & The Mash-Up Americans
12/20/2022
Are We Going To Be Okay? - Grief, Collected & The Mash-Up Americans
"Are we going to be okay?" This was one of the first questions Amy Choi & Rebecca Lehrer, co-founders of The Mash-Up Americans, posed in their new podcast series, Grief, Collected. Throughout episodes with folks like adrienne maree brown, Dorothy Holinger, and Linda Thai, Rebecca and Amy explore what grief is and how it impacts us emotionally, physically, culturally, and collectively. Rebecca & Amy talk about the questions they posed in this series and how the answers they uncovered are shifting their personal, familial, cultural, and collective responses to grief and loss. Listen to Check out *Note: this episode talks about suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out. You can call or text Hello to .*
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"I Needed To See People Who Looked Like Me" - Luna Peak Foundation
12/10/2022
"I Needed To See People Who Looked Like Me" - Luna Peak Foundation
Many of us end up working in the grief world because of our personal experiences. We want to give others what we most needed. This is especially true for and her niece , who co-founded in the hopes of supporting both those affected by cancer and those grieving a death. Melody was diagnosed with cancer when she was 6 and went through intensive treatment until she was 9. Gracelyn's dad, and Melody's brother-in-law, died of a cardiac event while running in 2016. Through their books and channels, Luna Peak provides multicultural stories of survivorship and hope. Places we go in this episode: Grieving during the holidays. What Melody needed from adults while she was going through treatment. How interviewing those affected by cancer and those grieving a death has impacted them. Their hopes for Luna Peak Foundation going forward. Books mentioned: Holiday Griefings
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One In A Million
12/03/2022
One In A Million
When your parent is one of six people in medical history to be diagnosed with and die from a rare disease, the phrase, "The odds are one in a million" takes on a very different meaning. This was true for Rebecca Hobbs-Lawrence, Pathways Program Coordinator at Dougy Center, who was 11 when her father died of heart cancer. At that point, she decided that if something tragic could happen, it would most likely happen to her. This worldview informed so much of how she approached school, dating, family, and becoming a parent. In this conversation we explore: The early days of being a parent without her father. How vigilance and anxiety led Rebecca to over-function as a parent. The joy she found in watching her children get to be kids, without the responsibility she had to take on after her father died. How witnessing her grandson survive an extremely rare brain disease has helped rewrite her "one in a million" narrative. Other Grief Out Loud episodes with Rebecca:
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The (Not) Most Wonderful Time Of The Year - Holidays & Grief Mini-Episode
11/21/2022
The (Not) Most Wonderful Time Of The Year - Holidays & Grief Mini-Episode
For a lot of us, the end of year holidays + grief = the (not) most wonderful time of the year. Rebecca Hobbs-Lawrence, Pathways Program & Group Coordinator at Dougy Center, is back for our annual Holidays & Grief episode. We discuss negotiating with family and friends around how we want to celebrate or not celebrate and how the past few years have shifted our priorities. Rebecca also shares how she and her family are approaching the holidays with a new type of grief, her mother having Alzheimer's. If you missed our past Holidays & Grief episodes, be sure to listen to Ep. , , and . Register for our happening on Thursday, 12.1.22, 10 am - 11:30 am PST.
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Grief Doesn't Fit In A Box, But You Can Make A List - What's Your Grief
11/15/2022
Grief Doesn't Fit In A Box, But You Can Make A List - What's Your Grief
Have you found it difficult to read anything longer than a paragraph since your person died? It's a phenomenon familiar, both personally and professionally, to Eleanor Haley, MS & Litsa Williams, MA, LCSW-C. Eleanor & Litsa started the community back in 2012 as a way to create the kind of grief resources they most needed in their own lives and for the clients they supported. They just published their first book, , and it will come as no surprise that it's filled with lists designed to help you better absorb information about grief from death and non-death losses. If you missed Eleanor & Litsa's first appearance on Grief Out Loud, go back and listen to .
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"These Relationships Matter" - Grieving The Death Of A Pet
11/03/2022
"These Relationships Matter" - Grieving The Death Of A Pet
We deliberated for a long time about whether it was appropriate for us to do an episode on pet loss. We know from those grieving the death of a person that it can hurt when someone tries to relate to their loss by sharing about their pet who died. We also know that grief is grief. Pets bring us joy and laughter and frustration and tears and love - just like humans do. In the end we decided to do this episode because we want to honor that for many people, their pets are family members, and the grief when one of them dies is real and valid and worthy of recognition and support. As our guest, Debrah Lee, Veterinary Well-Being Program Director for DoveLewis Veterinary and & Specialty Hospital, says, "These relationships matter." Mentioned in this episode:
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Celebrating Día de Los Muertos
10/28/2022
Celebrating Día de Los Muertos
Día de Los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead,” is a two-day holiday to remember family members and friends who have died. Día de Los Muertos has origins throughout Mexico and parts of Latin America, and is celebrated on November 1 and 2. The holiday is not a version of Halloween, but rather an enduring ritual celebrated since ancient times. Valenca Valenzuela, MSW, Volunteer Coordinator at Dougy Center, joins us to talk about the history of Día de Los Muertos, her personal connection to the holiday, and how people from all traditions can respectfully celebrate Día de Los Muertos by honoring and acknowledging its cultural origins. More about Dougy Center's . Valenca's previous Grief Out Loud appearance - . Movies mentioned in this episode: & . History of . Día de Los Muertos, es una celebración de dos días que tiene como fin recordar a miembros de la familia y amigos que han muerto. Tiene sus orígenes en diferentes regiones de México y partes de América Latina, y se celebra el 1 y 2 de noviembre. Esta festividad no es una versión de Halloween, sino un ritual perdurable celebrado desde la antigüedad. Valenca Valenzuela, MSW, Coordinadora de Voluntarios del Dougy Center se une para hablar acerca de la historia de Día de los muertos, su conexión personal con esta celebración, y cómo la gente de todas tradiciones puede celebrar este día de manera respetuosa, honrando y reconociendo sus orígenes culturales. Más sobre . Participación previa de Valenca en (Nacida para este trabajo). Películas mencionadas en este episodio: & (El Libro de la vida). .
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"They Were Part Of My Firefighter Family" - Grieving A Coworker
10/21/2022
"They Were Part Of My Firefighter Family" - Grieving A Coworker
Charlie Tull has two lives, but he's not deceiving anyone. There's his civilian one that he lives with his kids and family and there's his professional one that he spends with his firefighter family. In 2018, one of his fire family members, Eli, died of a heart condition. Three years later in 2021, another member of his fire family, Scott, died of COVID. Charlie's first reaction to both of these shocking and unexpected deaths was numbness. Then, he went underground with his grief. Over time though he realized he needed and wanted to honor Eli and Scott by talking about them - and about the grief and pain of their deaths.
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